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H.C.R.ANo.A117 HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1 WHEREAS, The history of Texas is not complete without 2 recognition of the ships, seaports, and maritime heritage that 3 contributed so greatly to the development, economy, immigration, 4 and culture of the state in the 19th century, and the state 's 5 preeminent symbol of this thrilling bygone era is the tall ship 6 Elissa; and 7 WHEREAS, In the 1970s, the city of Galveston was looking for a 8 ship to complement the restoration and redevelopment of the Strand, 9 known in the 1800s as the Wall Street of the South, and to help 10 Texans recognize and interpret the state 's maritime heritage; and 11 WHEREAS, Constructed in 1877 in Aberdeen, Scotland, Elissa is 12 a three-masted, iron-hulled tall ship of the "barque" type, 13 measuring 205 feet long and 99 feet, 9 inches high at the mainmast, 14 with a cargo capacity equivalent to that of eight railroad boxcars; 15 and 16 WHEREAS, Elissa transported a variety of goods around the 17 world over the course of her more than 90 years of commercial 18 history, first calling at Galveston in December 1883 with a cargo of 19 bananas and one passenger, then sailing for Liverpool, England, 20 with a cargo of cotton, and calling at Galveston again in September 21 1886 with a cargo of what was probably lumber or sugar and sailing 22 for Pensacola, Florida, in ballast; and 23 WHEREAS, Built at the dawn of the steamship era, Elissa 24 filled a niche in maritime commerce, calling on many ports, and she 1 H.C.R.ANo.A117 1 was sold from owner to owner, sailing under different names before 2 being readied for the scrap yards of Piraeus, Greece, where she was 3 recognized by a maritime archeologist; and 4 WHEREAS, Elissa was acquired by the Galveston Historical 5 Foundation in 1975, and after some initial work in Greece, she was 6 towed in 1978 to the Royal Navy yard in Gibraltar; that same year, 7 Elissa was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, 8 becoming the first object to achieve this status while outside the 9 territorial limits of the United States; and 10 WHEREAS, In 1979, Elissa returned to Galveston, her former 11 port of call and new home, and intensive efforts began to raise 12 funding and restore her to her 1877 sailing configuration; that 13 goal achieved, Elissa sailed again on the Gulf of Mexico in 14 September 1982; and 15 WHEREAS, Elissa is preserved and maintained by her volunteer 16 crew, who donate thousands of hours annually and sail her at least 17 once a year to preserve the seamanship skills of square-rig 18 handling for future generations, providing guests with the rare 19 opportunity to sail on a historic vessel; and 20 WHEREAS, Restored to her former glory as a seaworthy sailing 21 ship, Elissa is an irreplaceable piece of living history, and her 22 stature is underscored by her designation as one of "America 's 23 Treasures" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and as a 24 National Historic Landmark; and 25 WHEREAS, Elissa, with the support of the Texas Seaport 26 Museum, provides students and the public with a rare opportunity to 27 visualize the maritime heritage and culture of Texas and its 2 H.C.R.ANo.A117 1 coastal waters; and 2 WHEREAS, Even today, the sight of Elissa in full sail evokes 3 the color and excitement of the age of sailing ships, and this 4 vibrant reminder of an essential piece of our shared history, 5 representing Texas, is indeed deserving of special recognition; 6 now, therefore, be it 7 RESOLVED, That the 79th Legislature of the State of Texas 8 hereby designate Elissa the official tall ship of Texas. Eiland 3 H.C.R.ANo.A117 ______________________________ ______________________________ AAAAPresident of the Senate Speaker of the HouseAAAAAA I certify that H.C.R. No. 117 was adopted by the House on May 13, 2005, by a non-record vote. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the HouseAAA I certify that H.C.R. No. 117 was adopted by the Senate on May 25, 2005, by a viva-voce vote. ______________________________ Secretary of the SenateAAA APPROVED: __________________ AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADateAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAA __________________ AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGovernorAAAAAAA 4.